What Purpose?
by AnimeWolfGirl16
Summary: On the day of the Mark of Mastery Exam, a strange boy is found outside the Land of Departure, putting the test on hold. The most interesting thing about the silver-haired youth is that he talks about tales from the past, as well as preventing some kind of war… (Birth by Sleep Universe)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any people, places, etc. from Kingdom Hearts. It all belongs to its respectful owners.**

* * *

Prologue

 _A distant past, Daybreak Town…_

" _Are you sure this is the only way?" The red cloaked figure turned to his companion, the girl shrouded in a pink cloak, watching as she nodded before glancing back at the corridor of light. Her appearance was hidden by a white and blue fox mask; with the only thing able to be seen being her mouth, her expression hidden from view._

" _Would I really be sending you away if there was any other choice?" Despite the girl's answer, it still seemed that she was rather hesitant about the whole plan in the first place._

" _I know; you'd miss me too much to bear it, right?" The teen's tone turned teasing towards the girl, as he walked a bit closer to inspect the portal._

 _As he turned back towards the pink-clad figure, she could see the beginnings of a smirk on his face; and she knew that he wanted her to admit that he was right. Instead of allowing him his victory, she turned sharply away from him, glancing around to make sure no one had followed them. The dark fog of the morning seemed to hide them well, not to mention the spells that she had conjured up, but it was always possible that the traitor might have found a way in._

Or something worse… _The thought made her shudder, causing the boy to glance over at her in concern._

" _Are you sure you're ok?" Her companion was suddenly beside her, most likely a product of his magic, resting a black-gloved hand on her shoulder. "Using this much magic must be taking its toll."_

 _She shrugged the hand off, trying to distance herself from him. Their… relationship, if one could call it that was too bizarre, too_ _ **forbidden**_ _, for anything to happen._

" _I'm fine. There's a reason I'm a Master and you're not, remember?" The red-clad figure let out a laugh, finding her response humorous to say the least._

" _Ouch, was that really necessary?" She allowed a small smile to appear on her face, one that he kept peeking at to see. She would miss these interactions that they had after he left._

" _Completely." She turned around, shoving him in the direction of the portal, her tone serious as she watched him stumble slightly. "You'd better hurry. The portal can only stay open so long and I doubt I'll have enough magic to cast another one anytime soon."_

 _The figure waved his hand in the air nonchalantly a few times as he went back towards the portal._

" _I'm going, I'm going. No need to make me rush."_

 _She did leave out a little laugh at that, causing the teen to shoot her a smile. Her heart fluttered a bit but she ignored it, instead watching as he stopped in front of the portal, one hand near the entrance._

" _You'll be able to protect them, right? To protect this world from the War?" His tone was serious, causing her to nod, her thoughts grim. The only way the war could be stopped was by him leaving._

They need him more than we do right now… _Despite the thought, her stomach was tight at the thought of never seeing the teen again. He had been a light to her all these years, when she had been chosen to fulfill a role that she had never felt ready for._ And now it's his turn…

" _I'll keep them safe, I promise." Her acclamation seemed to calm him a bit, give him strength for the journey ahead, and she watched as he nodded his head. He turned towards her, this time his smile sad, so different from the way that he normally looked that it made her heart ache._

" _Well then, until the next time we see each other."_

 _She nodded, finding that tears were suddenly in her eyes, causing her to be glad that her friend couldn't see them._

" _Until then." She repeated, trying to steal her nerves against what her heart was telling her. They would never meet again, at least not in this time, if not at all. The teen paused once more, glancing back at her, causing her to look away, staring at the canopy of trees that surrounded them instead._

" _Goodbye, A-." The boy cut off, his Keyblade being summoned in a flash as they both sensed the presence of someone entering the girl's illusion._

 _The Keyblade's guard being a deep blue with an indigo handle, containing a metal shaft the color of gold that leads to a crescent-moon shape at the end. A gold and purple star made up the blade's edge, with the other side being shaped similar to a golden crown design. Off the handle, there were deep blue and purple spikes, leading to a star the exact same structure as the blade in the middle at the top of the handle. A chain led down from the handle to a star-shaped pendant, the coloration the same as the blade._

 _The girl summoned her Keyblade as well, glancing around the canopy, waiting for someone to appear. It seemed like they were close but she was unable to sense where exactly they were._

They're here for the portal…

 _Despite the style of the girl's Keyblade, it fit comfortably in her hand, a fox insignia just above the handle signified her Keyblade's unique design. The colors yellow, pale blue, pale green, and pale pink, making their way all throughout her weapon's design._

" _You need to leave, now!" She shouted towards her companion, her pink cloak flapping around her as wind suddenly picked up. Her friend had summoned a tornado-like spell to surround them, hopefully giving them more time to escape._

" _No way am I-!" He began cutting off a moment later, twisting around to block a strike aimed at him from a vicious looking Keyblade. The hilt was completely black, it's sharp and wicked design following throughout the weapon. A blue eye was near the top of the Keyblade, at the same level as the blade's edge. The girl tensed up, ready to spring across and help her friend, before dodging a spell that came at her from the opposite direction._

There's two of them?!

" _I didn't think you'd actually be able to block that strike." She whipped her head around to stare at the man attacking her friend, surprise and horror filling her when she saw the pure black cloak that the man was wearing. Her friend pushed back against the strike, getting his Keyblade to unlock with the enemy's, allowing him to move father away from the man._

" _Yeah, well I've been practicing." The malice was clear in her friend's voice, but the man didn't seem to take notice, nor did it seem like he cared, merely letting out a laugh at the boy's implications._

Why should he? _She glanced over at her friend, getting into a fighting stance herself, but found that she couldn't move her legs. Terror seemed to flow from her, making her wonder where all this fear was coming from._ He's no match for **him** …

" _Yes, well I suppose that you have." The man shot her a glance, not that she could see his face, before returning his gaze back towards the red-cloaked boy in front of him. "After all, how many worlds have you been to? Five, maybe six?"_

 _Both of them tensed up when the man suddenly disappeared, causing them to cast their gazes fervently around the small grove. The two's gazes met, causing her to nod towards the portal, the boy taking a sprint towards the small circle of light at her command._

Where could he have-? _Her thought cut off when she saw a flash appear behind her companion._

" _Look out!" Her cry caused the boy to whip around, trying to fend against the attack. Her warning was too slow, and she dashed towards him, as the figure appeared, the black Keyblade slicing down towards her friend. She only caught the look of surprise on her friend's face before she saw his Keyblade go flying, hitting a tree and disappearing in a flash, as he was flung away from the portal. "Ephemera!" The cry came out of her mouth before she could stop it, making the black hooded figure turn towards her._

" _So that's who this is…" The man's casually remarked as the girl used her magic to teleport herself over to her friend lying on the ground. "I thought that you would have chosen one of the others but apparently I was wrong."_

 _She stumbled slightly as she reached him, feeling her vision fade slightly._

Not now…

 _She fell towards the ground, kneeling at his side as he began to move, trying to stand back up but only getting onto his knees before falling back down._ _His cloak had been mostly torn off, leaving the red scarf from beneath as the only remnant of the tattered garment, showing off his curly silver-colored hair. His standard white shirt and black pants could now be seen, as well as the black jacket that he wore over the t-shirt. His breathing came in ragged gasps, causing her to try and push him back towards the ground, which was quickly being covered in blood._

" _I-It burns, Ava. What did he-?" She shushed him, glaring back at the man who was watching them with amusement before pushing against her friend gently._

" _I'll let you know in a moment. Let me take a look first." She glanced towards the wound, trying not to wince at all the blood. She used the sleeves of her cloak to try and wipe away some of the blood, with it welling up just as quickly, to see a deep, jagged cut from the boy's waist to his shoulder. She winced as his body stiffened up when she touched it, trying to get a closer look. It almost seemed like…_

No… _She glanced at the glowing red symbol in horror._ No wonder he says it burns, this spell…

 _Holding her shaking hands over the wound, trying not to aggravate the torn up skin more than it was, she focused, trying to heal at least some of the cut. What came out was a small stream of green light; barely enough to heal a small cut, making her head swim. She was forced to stop a moment later, her breaths coming in ragged gasps._

I've used up too much magic keeping the portal open…

" _As you can probably see, even if he manages to get through the portal, he won't last long." She glared over at the man, who was slowly advancing towards them. "It would be better to just accept defeat here."_

 _She took a breath, summoning the last of her magic, casting her gaze towards the fading portal._

If I can just…

 _She put her hand carefully underneath the silver-haired boy beside her, helping him up despite the moan that came out of him as she did so. If she couldn't stop the bleeding quickly…_

Someone on the other side will help him, they just have to…

" _Never!" At that word, she used the last of her strength to teleport them so that they were in front of the corridor of light. Her vision faded, causing her to shake her head, fixing her gaze on her friend. "Ephemera, you have to survive. Stop the Keyblade War, it's the only way." She didn't know if he had heard her, but she hoped that he did, with her last action being to shove him into the light as it disappeared completely._

Be safe, Ephemera… I'll do what I can from here…

 _A gasp left her throat when she felt something being shoved through her chest, causing her to lean up against whatever was behind her for support._

" _You think you've won?" The man's voice was right next to her ear, causing her to realize that it was him that she was leaning against, his Keyblade going through her body. Her vision began to fade, causing the man to shake her. "I know you can hear me. This isn't your real body, just an illusion."_

" _T-then if you knew, why did you come here?" Her voice sounded far away, she knew she couldn't keep this up much longer without the damage being sustained to her real body._

" _It was to show you that things couldn't be changed. Your plans mean nothing." The weight behind her suddenly vanished, as well as the weapon through her chest, making her fall to the ground. He was bending over her then, watching her through her fading vision. "You really think that one of my students could hide something from me? It just goes to show-." That man cut off, glancing towards where the portal was, his emotion turning to one of pure anger._

 _A smile appeared on her face then, causing her to let out a weak laugh._

" _You can sense that too, can't you?" She taunted, her awareness already being cut off from the vessel. "He's going to change the outcome." The man's angry gaze focused on her, his Keyblade coming down on her a moment later._

" _He won't win that easily."_

* * *

"That was unexpected… but one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances." Ventus watched from the sidelines as Master Eraqus continued, feeling excitement well up in his chest. "It was an excellent test, one that I chose to let unfold. Which brings us to your next trial."

 _They're going to become Keyblade Masters, I just know it!_

His friends moved at their Master's words, going towards the opposite area of the massive hall that they were in, facing each other a longer distance apart. Their Keyblades were held at ready, showing the preparation and dedication that the two older apprentices had dedicated to the test.

"Now, Terra and Aqua, the two of you will face each other in combat. Remember there are no winners-." The Master paused, his gaze turning sharply towards where the stained glass window was, causing the others in the room to follow. Ven felt confusion hit him when nothing happened for a moment, causing him to glance nervously at his friends. As far as the blonde knew, this wasn't the way that the ceremony was supposed to go…

 _What could the Master be-?_ The youngest apprentice's thoughts cut off when a bright light suddenly began to shine, eclipsing the image on the stained glass window. The light continued to shine, causing the blonde to have to shield his eyes from most of the glare, as it suddenly turned into what seemed to be a portal.

 _What-?!_

The light moved down away from the stained glass, more towards the ground before disappearing all together, leaving a figure behind. The strange occurrence left the younger boy stumped as what to do, causing him to stand in place and stare at what- or rather who- had appeared. From where he was he could see the glint of silver hair, the main colors of the figure's outfit consisting of white, black, and red. But something did seem off the more he stared at the figure as his friends and Master ran over to the unconscious teen.

 _That's too much red…_

"Master!" Aqua's cry of distress caused the younger boy to startle out of his haze, taking concerned steps towards his friends.

"I know! Aqua, begin using heal! Terra, go get some warm water and cloths," The Master began, leaning down towards the prone figure, who was now blocked from Ven's view, his gaze turning a moment later towards the youngest. "Ventus, go get the first aid kit!"

"R-right!" He automatically turned around, running the other way as worry hit him. If the Master was asking for extra supplies besides using spells then…

 _Whatever's wrong must be really bad…_

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 **Note: I know next to nothing about Kingdom Hearts Unchained X since I haven't gotten very far in the game. I'm taking characters from what I saw in the Kingdom Hearts 2.8 E3 2016 trailer and my own speculation about certain stuff I've read. I hope no one finds that offensive as much about this fanfiction regarding the game will most likely be incorrect, henceforth making it an AU.**

 **So this chapter is basically the teaser that I released later in 2016 but I figured that I'd still post it based on the fact that it can still be considered the starting point of this fanfiction. As I stated above, I really haven't played much of Unchained X, now rebranded as Union X, although I do try to read up on certain events pertaining to the player's character. Despite this, things will still be quite different since I started planning on this back before the Back Cover was released and not much was known about the game. I still hope that you can enjoy it despite its differences! Sorry if characters are a bit OOC, I just haven't had the time to replay BBS yet.**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Voices faded in and out of Ephemera's hearing, a heavy feeling weighing down on him as he tried to regain consciousness.

"Master! The spells, they aren't working!"

 _Ava is that you?_ The silver-haired teen's mind felt like it was wandering through a fog and yet his heart recognized that this wasn't Ava that he was hearing. The voice emitting from the person wasn't the soft, familiar one that he was used to.

"I know Aqua! Wait! This mark…"

"Master, could you know something about this?"

 _This voice… Master Ira maybe…_

"…It's nothing. Terra, where's Ventus with the supplies?"

"I'm right here!"

"Good, now lay them here. Terra, take him away from here for now."

"What?! But what if you need our-!"

 _Master Gula…? No… wait…_

"Now's not the time to argue Ventus!"

 _I have to get back to Ava… She needs my help… That man…_

"Aqua, you're going to have to hold him down. No telling what kind of pain he can feel at this point."

"Right."

 _Wait, you can't, not yet-!_

The pain lanced through him unexpectedly, ripping a scream out of his throat at the unexpected contact. His body reacted, causing him to try and summon his Keyblade, feeling only light fragments go down through his arm, nothing enough to actually manifest the blade.

 _What happened? Why can't I summon it?_

His next instinct got the better of him, wind beginning to whip up around his form as he summoned the last spell that he had previously used.

"Aqua!"

"I know! Why is he resisting so much?"

"This level of magic, where's it coming from… Put a seal on his magic!"

"A-a seal? Are you sure?"

"Just do it!"

 _No, I need to keep it up! It's the only way to help her in this state!_

A weight slammed into him, causing the air to be pushed out of his lungs as the source of his spells was cut off.

 _How-? Even the Foretellers are unable to block magic completely!?_

The lack of air caused him to stop struggling, lying down on the hard ground, causing whoever was holding him to release the pressure. Light was just beyond his reach, his hand reaching up towards it as he struggled to open his eyes. His blurry vision was just able to make out two figures, one an older man while the other was a blue-haired woman.

"M-master Ira, Master Invi… you need to help Ava." He struggled to catch his breath as the figures looked at one another before back down at him.

 _I can't stay conscious much longer…_

"The man… in the black hood… he's the…" The blue-haired woman put her hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him back down onto the ground when he tried to rise.

"Just rest. Everything will be fine." His vision turned black shortly after that, causing him to slowly drift back into unconsciousness.

* * *

 _She can't battle him on her own… The other Foretellers should be helping her, not fighting amongst themselves…_

" _Is darkness really all that bad? After all, who's to say it isn't like light…?" The remark slipped out of him, taking the silver-haired boy a moment to realize that his curiosity had gotten the better of him once again. A slap on the arm caused him to wince, glancing over at the pink-cloaked girl beside him, her gaze, despite being hidden by a blue and white fox mask, penetrating into him._

" _Don't say things like that! You know that it's forbidden to look into the darkness! Especially since you're a light Keyblade wielder!"_

 _Ephemera rubbed the sore spot where she had hit him, glancing up at the sky._

" _Yeah, yeah I know. It's just…" He began, glancing behind him when he heard a small splashing noise come from the fountain. A silver fish had jumped out of the water, trying to swim up the stream of water coming from the top of the porcelain object. "There's a balance to it all, right? Darkness can't exist without the light and vice versa, so how come we're always fighting it?"_

 _Another whack on the arm caused him to let out a yelp, the girl standing up now at his questions._

" _It's just the way things are! You know better than that, Ephemera!"_

 _He blocked the next strike, letting out a laugh at her reaction._

" _I get it Ava; you don't have to hit me." The teasing in his voice caused her to huff angrily at him, turning away a moment later._

" _Then stop asking questions you won't get answers to! Just because I'm a Foreteller now doesn't mean that I can just tell you everything!"_

 _He glanced at her curiously, scooping up a bit of water in his hands as he did so._

" _Oh yeah? So am I at least half-way correct or not at all?" As she turned towards him, most likely to give him another reprimand, he scooted behind her, taking the water and pouring it down the small opening between her hood and the back of her mask as he did so. His friend let out a yelp a moment later, swinging around in a panic, summoning her Keyblade as she did so. He sidestepped casually away from her as she did so, watching with a smirk from the sidelines._

" _Ephemera!" The girl stopped, her hands lifting to remove the mask in front of her face, letting out the long red hair, causing it to trail behind her back. His friend's purple eyes glared at the silver-haired teen in anger. "Why must you do that?!"_

 _He merely shrugged, watching as she shook the remains of the water from her cloak. The silver-haired teen couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face a moment later, causing his friend to shoot him another glare._

" _I like you better when I can actually_ _ **see**_ _your face." He gave the red-haired girl a light shove, causing her to roll her eyes at his action, with her copying the action a moment later, causing him to let out a laugh._

" _You know you technically aren't supposed to know what I look like, right?" He frowned at that, moving to lean back against the fountain and look towards the sky._

" _That's a stupid rule…" He muttered, glancing towards her to notice that she too was frowning at him._

" _Not really, it's all part of the way things are run around here." She came to sit back beside him, with both of them looking up at the clear sky. "Ephemera, think about it. If everyone knew who we really were and say, someone from another world attacked, then they would know who to take out first. Something as harmless as one question could end us all."_

 _His heart clenched painfully at the thought, although he knew the probability of that happening was very likely, causing him to glance over at her, to see the sad smile on her face as she clearly tried to reason with him. He took a deep breath, staring back at the sky as a few clouds appeared._

" _So in other words, I should stop looking into the darkness?" He asked, a small smile appearing on his face as he tried to lighten up the mood. Something told him that the actual reason for her saying everything she did until now was to get him to stop look into forbidden legends and mysteries. She turned towards him with a smile, her red hair moving in the wind._

" _See, you really can be smart sometimes!" They both knew that the statement was said as a joke but he still lightly shoved her, feigning anger._

" _Only sometimes?" She laughed, dodging away from him as he leaned towards her, intending to pull them both into the pond. The humid air of Daybreak Town's summer season caused most of its inhabitants to hang out around water, often getting wet at uncertain times to fend off the oppressive heat._

" _Oh no you don't! You can't fool me again!" Her eyes hinted at mischief, a light purple glint in them as she picked up her mask, slipping it back on in the process. Her red hair was left hanging down, soon to be concealed once again underneath the hood. His expression set into a smirk as he summoned his Keyblade, prompting her to do the same._

" _Wanna bet?"_

* * *

 **So since the last chapter I posted was the Prologue that was already released, I figured that I'd post the first chapter as well since that seemed only fair to you all. Please let me know what you all think so far! Another thing, I don't actually have much of this fanfiction written since school and work has kept me pretty busy, but I do have quite a bit of it actually planned out so far. It's just getting to the actual writing part that's hard. So I can't actually promise a schedule for update yet.**

 **P.S. - I don't actually know if there is a spell to block magic in the Kingdom Hearts series but for the purpose of this story there is going to be one.**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	3. Chapter 2

**D:** Thanks for the review and the advice! I'll definitely have to look them up some time when I get the chance!

 **elise3:** Thanks! To be honest I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that while playing the Kingdom Hearts games so far I haven't relied on magic as my main attack so it mostly goes without saying that I only know the basic fire, lightning, ice, and healing spells.

 **lady-saintiasailor:** Thanks for the review! Glad you liked the chapter!

 **HikariCruz:** Glad you found the last chapter interesting! Hopefully the others continue to pique your interest!

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Chapter 2

A dull throbbing pain brought Ephemera to awareness, causing a light groan to emit from the teen.

 _I'm… alive?_

His mind felt foggy as he forced his heavy eyes open, his sight blinded momentarily by the bright light that poured through an open window. A pale hand lifted an inch to try and block the light, but was swiftly stopped by a stab of pain. Blue eyes focused after a moment, locating the simple bedroom that he was currently in. The small bed and wooden desk were the only objects in the room, other than a chair by the bed.

 _But the question is, where exactly am I?_

Blearily he glanced down at himself, seeing bandages wrapped across his chest, causing the silver-haired teen to try and recall what he last remembered.

 _Ava and I… we were fighting… a hooded man…?_ The dull thought came out as more of a question, causing the teen to attempt to sit up. He finally figured out that if he moved slowly, then the pain wouldn't be as sharp. Shaking his head slightly, blue eyes moved wearily towards the door near the corner of the room. No one else seemed to be present and it didn't seem like anyone would be for quite some time.

"Here we go then…" The mutter came out weaker than he had expected, causing the silver-haired teen to attempt to clear his throat. Slowly moving his legs towards the edge of the bed, wincing when more stabs of pain hit him, Ephemera took a deep breath before planting his feet firmly on the ground and standing up. The first thing that hit him was the intense pain, spreading from his shoulder down to his waist, causing his vision to swim. Feeling his legs threatening to collapse under his weight, he leaned against the wall, trying to stabilize his breathing, which had become ragged once more.

 _This might be harder than I thought…_ Shaking his head clear of the thought, Ephemera gritted his teeth before taking another step, leaning against the wall for support. _Ava's depending on me, even they are…_

Pictures of his other 'friends', if the silver-haired teen could call them that due to them being more Ava's friends that his, flashed through his mind. If he failed to stop the Keyblade War…

 _Everything will be gone…_

He paused to catch his breath once he got towards the end of the wall, glancing over at his objective. Despite knowing that he was supposedly in the past, he didn't quite know who exactly had found him in this state, or what they might be trying to accomplish by putting him in their debt.

 _Not something that I'm going to stick around for…_

Taking another few deep breaths, he started off towards the wooden door once more, stopping every so often when the pain and dizziness became too much to bare, instead waiting until it calmed down before continuing. He paused once more upon reaching the oak door, leaning against it before reaching for the door handle. The metal was cold against his skin, jolting him slightly more awake than he had previously been, helping to clear his mind. Blue-eyes narrowed as he put his ear up against the frame, listening to see if there were any footsteps or voices. When he couldn't detect any, he twisted the knob and pulled the door open, finding that the effort tired him out more than it should have.

"Must be due to the wound… whatever it is…" Muttering under his breath, he glanced both ways, and upon not seeing anyone, moved into the small hallway. Silver hair moved as he tilted his head, trying to determine which way to go. Each path had the same amount of light coming from it, and didn't seem to give anything away from what lay at the other end after it, putting him a difficult situation.

 _If this was the Foreteller's tower then I might be able to figure out which way is the right one, but here…_ His thoughts trailed off as he focused back on the problem at hand. Choosing to go right, he began to slowly make his way towards the opposite end, praying silently that no one would come while he did so. He figured that if he just waited around trying to make a decision, then there was a more likely chance of someone showing up and discovering that he was awake. His mind wandered once more as he walked, his body aching and demanding rest despite just waking up, as he continued to push onwards.

 _If I'm in the past… then when exactly did Ava send me to?_ He knew a basic knowledge about how the Foretellers became Masters but other than that, he didn't know exactly when nor what happened before. Their own Master had after all disappeared a few years back, leaving the Foretellers to lead their own Unions, and wait for him to return. _Hopefully I don't run into Ava's Master while I'm here… that would just complicate things…_

He looked at his surroundings once he reached the end of the hallway, pausing to catch his breath once more, puzzled at the endless hallways that seemed to exist beyond this one.

 _How many rooms and halls does this place have? There has to be some way to get out of here…_

The sound of something breaking back from the direction that he had come from, and hurried steps towards his new direction, caused the teen's eyes to widen in surprise. He hadn't expected someone to find out quite so early, that or had he really been moving slow…?

 _I have to move-!_

Glancing towards the window near him, he rushed towards it, ignoring the pain as best as he could, as he heard a gasp come from a slight distance from behind him in surprise.

"Wait!" Ephemera glanced back momentarily to see the blue-haired woman from before, her face a mask of worry as she rushed towards him.

 _No turning back now…_ Throwing his weight against the glass window, he burst through it, feeling weightless for a moment. The woman stopped at the window, leaning out with a horrified expression on her face as she watched him fall. He tried to maneuver his body to land in a roll once he hit the ground, but for some reason, it just didn't seem to react the way that it normally did. _Maybe the gravity's different?_

The thought crossed his mind briefly as he felt himself hit the ground, his body automatically rolling in a tumble against the sudden impact. His breath left him as he lay there for a moment, trying to discern which way was which as his vision continued to spin.

 _Not my best idea…_ A pained gasp left him as he slowly sat up, feeling as if something had torn open. _Well no surprise there, you did just jump out of a window after all…_

"Hey wait!" Ephemera's gaze snapped up as he realized a different voice was calling for him now. A man completely clad in different earthly tones was currently rushing towards him. Letting out a curse, he tried to lunge away from the man only to fall back towards the ground a moment later when his strength left him.

 _Used… too much… energy…_ The fractured thought passed his mind as his vision became foggy and black began to close in on his thoughts. His could feel his eyes closing once more against his own will, with a firm hand being wrapped around his waist, keeping him from injuring himself further.

"Geez kid, we're not going to harm you." The muttered sentence, along with a sigh could be heard at the fragments of his consciousness. "I got him Aqua!"

"Be careful Terra! I'll be down in a moment!" The voice that had once been far away now seemed much closer, leading the silver-haired teen to wonder if she too had jumped out of the window. The absence of any loud noises also led him to believe that she had landed a much safer way than he had… "It looks like he tore his stiches again…"

"Can you fix them here?"

"Well… I'll have to get my supplies and-." The woman cut off as Ephemera's eyes snapped open, most likely due to the pain that he was in. His head pounded as he glanced at the two people, or more like tried to glance at the man who was still holding him.

"L-let… me go…" He pushed weakly against the hand around him, merely causing the grip to tighten in surprise. His head swam as his breathing came out in gasps.

 _Something's wrong… even if I had been injured… it should have healed quicker than this…_ The silver-haired teen didn't know how long he had been unconscious but the fact that it seemed like these people were surprised that he was even up caused him to believe that it was at least a few days.

"Why would we do that?" The question from the man caused his tired mind to panic, causing him to push harder against the man. A picture of Ava flashed through his mind, it was clear that she was talking to him, but he couldn't make out her words, merely the figure coming towards them in the background.

"I-I need... I need… to…" He couldn't quite finish his sentence as he tried to catch his breath, to try and think calmly.

"Terra, let him go."

"What?!" The startled reaction out of the man caused the grip on him to loosen a bit, causing him to breath a bit better.

"I can't heal him if you're holding him like that! Besides…" The woman trailed off, glancing down at him with an emotion in her eyes that the teen was unable to place. The weight holding him up suddenly vanished causing Ephemera to fall to his knees on the ground. On further observation, the ground beneath his feet was a lush green grass surrounding them.

"You're safe now." He glanced up at the woman in surprise, finding her bending down towards him, her knees also nearly touching the ground, as she smiled at him. "What was it that you needed?"

"To… to…" He tried to put his muddled thoughts in order, causing him to raise a hand to his pounding head.

 _What was I supposed to do again…?_ The thought surprised him, causing the teen to sit back against the ground, his gaze going up towards the sky and away from the two figures.

"You're injured. We're merely trying to help you." The woman extended a hand towards him slowly, as if worried that he would lash out at her. He returned his blank gaze to her hand a moment before looking back away, trying to reclaim the lost thought.

 _What was it… that she said to me?_

"Should I carry him back? It doesn't look like he's going to respond…"

"I wonder what it was that he needed to do…?" The soft voice coming from the woman caused him to glance back at her pitying expression.

"Stop the War…" The words slipped out of his mouth as a fragment of what the pink-clad girl had said to him came back to him.

"Huh?" Both figures responded at the same time, looking at each other in confusion before back towards him.

"Kid, what war?" Ephemera stared at the man blankly, before back over at the girl. Whatever Unions they were from, if Unions even existed in the past, it didn't seem like they had any inkling of what was going to happen.

"The Keyblade War." At his statement, both looked worriedly at him, exchanging glances before slowly coming towards him. The woman stood up, her face a mask of confusion at his explanation, if what he had said could be called that. It briefly crossed his mind that he probably shouldn't have said as much as he had but the thought disappeared a moment later, most likely a byproduct of his exhaustion.

 _Can't take it back now…_ Ephemera instinctively rubbed his eyes, trying to clear them as they became fuzzy once more. A scowl made its way from the teen as he realized that the attempt was futile, causing him to glance over at the two figures who were making their way towards him. For a moment their figures changed to people that he knew from back in Daybreak Town, before switching back.

"Just… don't do anything stupid till I wake up, ok?" The words made their way out of his mouth before he realized it, causing the teen to realize that he was dropping off into sleep once more.

 _No one's here… not one person that I know…_

* * *

" _Why am I the only one who has a nickname?" The question caused the silver-haired teen to glance over at the blonde-haired boy to his left. A single black streak was the only irregularity on the other teen, hanging right in the middle of the long streaks of blonde that framed his face. A puzzled look was on his friend's face, causing Ephemera to shrug, not really understanding the basis for the strange question._

" _Does it really matter? No one else's name is long enough."_

" _Yours certainly is." Blue-eyes flashed over towards him as the boy stated that with a slight pout. Ephemera rolled his eyes at the point his friend had given, all hope now lost that this wouldn't turn into an argument eventually._

" _I guess no one's ever bothered to give me a nickname then…" He trailed off, causing the blonde to let out a laugh at his statement, as if he found it funny._

"' _No one ever bothered to give you one'?" The blonde repeated, his hair waving as he continued to laugh. "Didn't you ever think of making one up for yourself?"_

" _Don't tease him Yoa." Ephemera's gaze turned towards his right, where a girl with long brown hair was sitting beside him, a chastising look in her green eyes. A single strap of blonde hair, which was strapped to the top of her head, as if like a bandana caused an irregularity that was similar to the blonde's. The fact that both of them had a similar inconsistency in their hair left loads of questions in the silver-haired teen's mind, ones that he had yet to find the answers to._

All it takes is one lead though…

" _I'm not teasing him, Yumi." Yoake, or as most of his friends called him 'Yoa', leaned over towards the girl as if to look at her better, invading Ephemera's personal space in the process._

" _Then what are you doing, hmm?" She copied the movement, causing Ephemera to stand up with a sigh, moving away as he realized that the two would continue like this whether or not he was actually still sitting there. Walking towards the edge of the roof that lead back down to the town square, Ephemera stopped upon seeing a shape standing in the shadow of the next story roofing above theirs._

" _Leaving so soon?" The sly voice that came from the figure caused Ephemera to hide the smirk that appeared on his face with a shrug._

" _Not sure yet." He glanced back towards the two friends currently in a heated debate behind him, flashing the pink-cloaked figure a smile before turning around. "Hey guys! Ava's here!"_

 _The shout caused the two to stop what they were talking about, both giving wide-surprised eyes over towards Ephemera before seeing the figure behind him. Wide smiles broke out on their faces as the two stood up, coming towards the cloaked figure._

" _Ava! Sorry didn't see you there!" Yoa nervously ruffled his hair as he stopped in a circle with the other three. Ephemera scoffed a bit at the boy's behavior towards Ava. They were more friends than he was and yet he still seemed nervous around her._

" _That's because you were too busy staring at Yumi." The blonde's face heated up as his eyes flashed towards Ephemera._

" _Was not! We were discussing nicknames!"_

" _You know that better than anyone Ephemera." Yumi stated, her face also containing a light blush at the silver teen's words. Ephemera merely shrugged, glancing away from the two to hide his amused smirk._

" _Who's to say that I do?" Yoa looked ready to argue against the point but was stopped when Ava held up her hands._

" _There's no point to arguing about it." She turned towards Ephemera, a small smile on her own face as she let down her hood, long red hair spilling out from underneath the garment. "Don't get back at them for him teasing you, ok? It's childish."_

 _Ephemera rolled his eyes as she tried to chastise him, the same thing that Yumi had been doing a moment ago._

" _Yes Master Ava." She lunged towards him at his sarcasm, causing the teen to leap away, his Keyblade being summoned with a flash of light, a playful smirk on his face. He glanced over to see the aghast look on Yoa's face, causing him to laugh at the other teen's expression._

" _Ephemera! She's your Union leader!" Yumi's face was serious as she nodded at Yoa's statement, her green eyes glinting as she looked at the two of them facing off, with the red-haired girl having summoned her keyblade a moment after Ephemera did._

" _That's right! You need to be more respectful!" He merely shrugged once more, quickly dodging the attack the other girl aimed at him._

" _Says who? Maybe I am being respectful."_

" _Not!" The angry huff from his opponent caused him to chuckle as he lightly pushed his keyblade against hers, the star charm dangling in between the two. It was clear from the way that her eyes lit up that Ava was enjoying the little show that they were putting on for the other two._

Now if she was battling me at her full strength… _His thoughts trailed off as he dodged around another attack. The teen couldn't say with confidence that he could win against the newly named Foreteller in a battle. He backed up towards the edge of the building, shooting his friends a smirk, watching in amusement as they seemed stumped about what to do._

" _Let's end this!" Ava stood opposite of him, a smirk on her own face. He realized what position he was in, backed up against the edge of the building and with nowhere to go but down. He let out a light chuckle at her playful antics, realizing what she had up her sleeve._

" _Fine by me." He got into a defensive position as she charged towards him, her Keyblade slashing towards him. He did a backflip at the last second, and off the building towards the ground below. He heard a gasp come from above him, before his feet hit the light post below, stopping his ascent to the ground. He flashed a smile up towards Ava, her purple eyes gazing in mirth at him as he bowed._

" _How'd we do Ava?" The teen opened her mouth to reply before they both heard a thud from the rooftop. Puzzlement made its way onto Ephemera's face as he leaped back up towards the edge of the roof._

Now what could that have been…? _His thought was answered a moment later, causing the teen to wince as he looked at the scene before him. Yumi had apparently passed out upon seeing him jump off the side of the building, with Yoa stopping her from hitting the rooftop altogether._

" _Whoops…"_

" _Looks like we went a little too far…" Ava trailed off, as she stared at the unconscious girl, walking over to where Yoa was laying her on the rooftop, anger in his eyes._

" _You think!"_

" _Does she at least know that I'm still alive?" The question popped out of the silver-haired teen's mouth before he could stop it, causing an annoyed glare to be sent his way. "Yeah I know, not the best question to ask right now."_

" _Hold on a moment." Both of the guys froze as Ava leaned down, placing her hands over Yumi's chest, her eyes closed. After a moment, they all left out breaths as Ava gave them smiles._

" _She's fine. She'll just most likely be out for the rest of the day though…" Ephemera was the first one to move, going back to the quickest direction that would lead him back to his house._

" _Whelp that was fun. See you all tomorrow?"_

" _Hey wait!" The teen glanced over his shoulder to see the distraught blonde, who was currently looking back and forth between the unconscious girl and Ephemera._

" _Yes?"_

" _What am I supposed to do with her?" Ephemera merely shrugged, continuing to walk towards the edge of the roof that he had just come back up from._

" _Take her to her room." Sky-blue eyes widened at Ephemera's suggestion, causing the boy to stand up._

" _You can't be serious?!" Ephemera could hear footsteps coming towards him but he didn't turn around, prompting the footsteps to get quicker._

" _Why not?"_

"' _Why not?'" Yoa quoted, grabbing Ephemera by his jacket sleeve. "It's the girls' dormitory! What if I get caught?"_

" _Then just explain what happened." Yoa's face hardened at that, a mixture of emotions in his gaze._

" _You know I can't do that." Two sets of blue eyes stared at each other, before the blonde broke the gaze, letting go of Ephemera's sleeve. "I'm not even supposed to be here with you all…"_

 _Ephemera stared at his friend for a moment, before glancing back to where Ava and Yumi were._

" _The Foretellers aren't always right." He stated, prompting the blonde to open his mouth to reply before he shut it once more, his gaze looking uncertain. The silver-haired teen patted his friend's shoulder, before moving towards the edge of the building once more, teetering on the edge. "Make your own decisions for once."_

* * *

 **Happy New Year everyone! That's what I would like to say but I forgot to post it on the actual New Year's Day like I originally planned. Oops. Either way, I still hope you enjoyed this chapter! My original plan was to have the OC that you play as in Unchained X (now Union X) be more of a stand-in character and not as much influencing the plot, but now I guess my OCs Yoake and Yumi kind of took that plan out of action. If it isn't obvious, they are meant to replace the male and female avatar that you have the option of creating when you first start the game. I know some people don't like the thought of OCs in fanfictions as much but I hope you grow to love them! Please let me know what you thought in a review!**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	4. Chapter 3

**The Keeper of Worlds:** Thanks! Things should continue to get interesting from now on. :)

 **MusicLoverNA:** Thanks! Although it might seem like Ven and Ephemera might recognize each other (more in Ephermera's case since it's clear that Ven has lost his memories), things might not go as you think until later in the fanfiction. :)

* * *

Chapter 3

"You're not going to get out of there by struggling you know."

A glare was sent over towards the strange blonde-haired teen at the statement. His first instinct had been that due to the boy's spiky blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, was that he was Yoake, but the missing black streak, as well as other factors, led the teen to dismiss the idea. Ephemera had once again woken up in the same room, this time with a teen that looked to be just a year younger than him. His hands and legs were bound to the bed with leather straps, most likely meant for securing patients who wouldn't behave… which is just what he was, he supposed.

 _Probably to make sure that I don't escape again…_ Despite the thought, Ephemera couldn't help but stare at the other teen.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" The question slipped out before he could stop it, causing him to bite his lip in frustration. Once again blaming his mishaps on his injury, the silver-haired teen didn't miss the strange look the other boy shot him.

"No, not that I know of." Despite the dismissal, Ephemera couldn't help but think that he knew the blonde from somewhere. Try as he might however, he couldn't place where. Nothing popped up in his memory when he tried to think back to whether or not he had met him in Daybreak Town.

 _That's impossible though… only Ava has the power to send people to the past…_ He knew that this wasn't an illusion from the Book of Prophecies either, causing his questions to go unanswered.

"What's with the straps then?" He asked the question, glancing down at the black leather binding his wrists to the bed, despite knowing the answer already. The teen had tried to use magic on them, much to his dismay, but nothing had happened.

"Well…" The other boy seemed a bit uncomfortable with the subject, glancing away from him and over at the closed wooden door. "Aqua doesn't want you to hurt yourself again. You keep losing a lot of blood, according to her…"

"Aqua…" Ephemera muttered the name, a picture of the woman with blue hair popping into his mind as he did so. Then the other person must have been Terra if he remembered correctly… "What's your name? Maybe I do know you and I just can't remember your name?"

 _Again with the questions about the stranger? What's with me today?_

The other teen shifted a bit from where he was standing, showing off his nervousness at the questions.

"It's-." The blonde cut off as the door opened, and the blue haired woman appeared once more. A bowl of water was clutched in her hands, and her face lit up in a smile as she saw that Ephemera was awake.

"You're awake!" She immediately came over towards him, pulling the chair from the wall up beside the bed to sit on. "How are you feeling?"

He stared at the woman for a moment in caution. He couldn't quite place it but he seemed to feel more comfortable around the blonde than the blue-haired woman, despite the friction between the two teens at the current moment.

 _Must be because he looks like Yoa..._

"Better…" He trailed off as the woman leaned towards him, causing the teen to try and lean away. Recognition entered her eyes at his actions causing her to back away slightly.

"I just want to make sure you aren't bleeding anymore." He nodded, attempting to not stiffen up when she got closer once more, as she undid the straps that held his wrists to the bed. Once the leather was off, he rubbed the spots where he had made red stripes in his attempts to get out. She frowned at this, moving to grab a wet rag from the bowl, handing it to him when she saw his eyes harden when she got closer once again.

"Here, you can put this on them and then I can check your back." As he was using the warm towels on his wrists, amazed by the fact that the water healed the raw skin almost instantly, he glanced up at her in surprise when he realized what she had said.

"My back?" He thought back to his fragmented memories of the battle between Ava, him, and the cloaked man. That must have been what was causing all the pain was the attack from the black-cloaked man…

 _But even Keyblade wounds heal with time…_

"You tore the stiches that were in your back." Aqua nodded as she carefully unwrapped the bandages, moving slowly due to some still sticking to his skin. "So this time we didn't use stiches and just went with gauze." Her words still puzzled the teen, causing him to think back over things once more.

 _But… in all my times as a Keyblade Wielder, I've never needed stiches…_ The thought nearly made its way out of his mouth, but he stopped it in time, instead moving his head so he could try to see what it was that the woman was so concerned about. A frown made its way onto the silver-haired teen's face when he realized that moving even a slight bit would send pain through him, and without the assistance of a mirror, it would be impossible for him to examine the 'wound'. He nearly asked for one, but was stopped by the blue-haired women talking.

"You really should try to limit your movements. I know it might feel like you have a lot of pent up energy, but moving will really only drain you further."

He nodded slowly, instead figuring that he could inspect things later, when the two of them had left. He watched as the woman frowned, her hand immediately going to the water once more, which contained another rag, before raising it to wipe at his back. The silver haired teen hissed at the pain that lanced through when she did, watching as she too winced, a small apology leaving her lips as she continued. When she was done, the blue haired woman put the rag back into the water, with red stains now on the previously white cloth.

"Well it looks better than it did a few days ago but it's still inflamed…" Aqua trailed off, her eyes staying on his back for a moment before she pulled out more gauze and began to wrap them tightly around Ephemera's chest. "I think that as long as you stay off it, you should be able to get up after a few more days…"

The silver-haired teen let out a sigh, laying carefully back against the pillows when the older woman was done. This was one of the annoying perks about getting injured, something that rarely happened this severely back in Daybreak Town. Most of the time the injuries sustained were scrapes and bruises, even with the illusions they used to go into other worlds for training…

 _And I can't do anything for a while…_ The thought caused the teen to look around the sparse room once more. If he had been back home, then his friends might have had time to come see him, under the pretense of 'being sick as well', but here, he didn't have such luxuries. _Might as well learn something if I can…_

Before he could even open his mouth to ask though, Aqua stood up, looking deep in thought. The blonde- whose name he _still_ didn't know- merely glanced at his friend, watching as she muttered to herself stuff that neither of them could quite pick up on, despite the close proximity. This went on for a few minutes, before the unnamed blonde cleared his throat, catching the older teen's attention as he said her name.

"Aqua…"

"Hmm… oh!" Her face flushed as she realized what she had been doing, ducking her head in embarrassment as the two of them looked at her. "Sorry, just something came to mind…"

"Like…?" The blonde asked the question that Ephemera nearly did, causing the girl to look back towards the silver-haired teen before grabbing the blonde's hand and leading him towards the door.

"Sorry but we'll bring you something to eat soon. For now, just rest there, ok?" She gave him a small smile before the two exited, the blonde looking just as confused as he felt. Ephemera stared at the door for a few more moments after it had closed, before leaving out a sigh as he laid back down on the covers.

 _What a strange woman…_ The thought left him as he let out a yawn as he stared at the blank ceiling. He realized that the blonde haired teen still hadn't given him his name, causing a frown to appear on his face as his eyes closed. The silver haired teen supposed that he could just ask later, since it didn't seem like either would be coming back for a bit from what the girl had said. The absence of familiar sounds caused his mind to begin to drift towards sleep once more, the thought of examining his wounds all but forgotten as well as the absence of bindings that were no longer keeping the Keyblade Wielder there.

* * *

"I don't think he's going to wake up anytime soon. Looks like the spell worked." Aqua merely glanced over at Terra, nodding once before going back to the books she was currently searching through. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she looked at the various symbols that were on each page, trying to find the one thing she currently sought.

"I just feel bad about it is all…" She trailed off, glancing up when the door opened to see Ven carrying more books for her.

"What's to feel bad about? It's clear he's going to hurt himself again if he tries to get loose." A hand on her shoulder caused her to glance up at the brown-haired man beside her, his gaze meeting hers. "It's the best thing for him Aqua. At least until we figure something out."

The Blunette sighed, leaning back in the chair to stare at her two friends.

"I know it's just… that symbol keeps bothering me…" She muttered a thanks towards Ven as he laid the books in the growing pile by the desk, ones that she still had to go through to see if she could find the solution to the problem on her mind. "Not just the fact that it exists, but also where it's placed."

"If anyone can find anything about it, you can Aqua." She glanced over at the youngest of their trio, a small smile appearing on her face as she did so. The youngest's blind faith in the two of them seemed to be part of the reason they all trusted each other so much, that and the fact that they all were like siblings helped too.

"Thanks Ven. It's just-." She cut off as a bell sounded throughout the room, signaling that it was time for lessons- well at least for the youngest. A laugh made its way from Terra, who walked over to the blonde and put a hand on the Keyblader's shoulder.

"Looks like it's time for lessons once again."

"Yeah…" Ven broke off, a small frown on his face before it transformed into a smile. "I'll see if I can get the Master to talk about what happened. Maybe he has an idea!" With that, the youngest waved at them in goodbye before running off towards the main training hall.

The two eldest trainees just looked at each other before letting out small laughs at his behavior. They both knew that if the Master had discovered anything that they would have all been summoned but it was best to just let the young teen try to figure things out for himself sometimes.

"Now… mind telling me more about why you're so bothered by this?" Terra's matter-of-fact questioning brought forth another sigh as she looked back down at the book. She flipped the page, glancing once more before answering him.

"The fact that it's located directly where the wound is means that it had to be inflicted in a fight… but the worlds have been peaceful so far, right? Or the Master would have told us something… Not to mention that it happened directly **during** our Mark of Mastery test, as well as…" She trailed off, causing Terra to watch her for a moment before she steadied her gaze, voicing the one thing the boy had said that worried her the most. "The mention of a Keyblade War."

Terra's brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced around the library, at the various bookcases that contained information about numerous topics. His gaze met back with hers, as he leaned against the wooden post near the door.

"But didn't the Keyblade War…?" He broke off, causing her to nod in agreement at his thought, before she chose to finish it, as if confirming what they all already knew from their lessons.

"The Keyblade War already happened hundreds of years ago…" The both trailed off into silence at that, wondering what it could mean for the silver-haired teen a few rooms down from where they currently were. There was a reason they had yet to tell the young blonde, mostly due to the fact that the two didn't know much about what it meant yet.

"It's possible he was just remembering something he read in a book…" the muttered explanation from Terra caused her to glance back up at him, as he glanced back down at the ground in thought. "It might not be that common among people other than Keyblade wielders but still…"

"But why would he bring it up in the first place? He seemed pretty certain that what he was saying was correct."

Neither of the two had an answer, causing Aqua to glance back at the book, before over at the door once more. The one person who might have answers for them was already occupied…

"You haven't talked to the Master yet either, have you?" Terra merely shook his head at her question, a look of dismay on his face. Aqua sighed once more, glancing up at the clock. It would be a few hours before Ven's lesson was done and then they still would have to figure out when to resume the Mark of Mastery… "I guess it makes sense… I mean, it's not like it's been that long since he first came here… and we've all been rather busy…"

When they weren't in training, the trio would talk amongst themselves, look after their current patient, and do more research- mostly in Aqua's case. The Masters- Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort- had been in meetings between themselves on and off since the boy had arrived. So far it didn't seem like they had any leads… but maybe if Aqua told them what the boy had said, then it could lead them in the right direction…

"Well… no point in worrying about it too much…" Terra muttered, a small smile forming on his face as he came over and gently grabbed Aqua's hand, pulling her out of the chair she was currently sitting in. Upon seeing the look of protest on her face, although she didn't resist quite as much as she thought she would, he stopped and gave her a look. "You need a break. Maybe some fresh air will do you some good." He didn't leave much room for debating as he lead her out of the room, causing her to sigh as she glanced back at the book before following him out to the grassy area around the castle.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Who else has been playing Kingdom Hearts 3? :) Please no spoilers in the review since I just beat the Monster's Inc. world. Just got to say the one cutscene made my day (I won't say what since I don't want to spoil anything for the people who aren't that far yet)! Story ideas are already floating around in my head. :)The only reference of when the Keyblade War actually happens is in the KH3 artbook that came with the game- which states a few hundred years. No flashback this time but instead from the point of view of our trio- specifically Aqua- to show what's been going on a bit while Ephemera's been passed out. After all- we know things don't just stop because one of the protagonist's is out of commission. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please let me know what you all thought!**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	5. Chapter 4

**bookgirl111:** Yeah I cried really hard. Already waiting for the next game with bated breath. Until then… fanfiction!

 **The Keeper of Worlds:** Yeah I can bet… the hardest thing was actually typing his name last chapter… things should get interesting from here on. :)

* * *

Chapter 4

For once, the first thing Ephemera noticed was that this was the first time he hadn't had any dreams. The light that filtered through the window was already a dark red, leaving the Keyblade Wielder to believe that he had been asleep for quite a few hours.

 _Strange… it feels like much longer…_ The teen couldn't remember the last time he had felt that well-rested, especially with all that had been entrusted to him the few weeks up to his trip through time.

Letting out a sigh, the silver-haired teen stretched- taking care to not tear the stitches he could feel stretching as well beneath the gauze- before he froze. The lack of the bindings on his hands didn't get past the boy as he hands automatically stretched behind his head, towards the headboard of the bed. He glanced towards his feet, noticing that those too had been removed. The teen shifted to let his feet dangle off the bed, taking in the surroundings once more. Nothing had really changed, but sure enough there was a bowl of soup and some bread on the side table of the bed, the promise that the bluenette stated before leaving going fulfilled. Surprised he hadn't woken up when they had come back, the teen turned his gaze towards the cracked door. It was clear that if they meant to keep him here, then the bindings would have been reclasped and the door locked… unless…

 _They drugged me…_ A scowl made its way onto his face as the thought entered his head. The only opportunity would have been with the water… but he didn't understand quite how the spell had taken effect. If it was as he thought, then the occupants of the castle wouldn't be coming to check up on him for a while… _Meaning I can at least explore before they come back to check on me…_

At the thought, the teen moved off the bed and towards the door, taking note of the time on a small clock on the wall. Shortly after 5:00…

 _Maybe a few hours and then I'll come back here…_ It wasn't like the teen was new to exploring after all. There were numerous times that Ava had to pull him out of trouble, especially when his excursions involved the other Foretellers…

A small chuckle left him at that as he slipped out into the corridor. Upon investigating further, there weren't too many rooms actually in the castle, most being comprised of basic necessities: bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen. He had to steer clear of a large great room at the end of one of the halls due to the sound of fighting and instructions coming from within. What piqued the teen's interest the most was a large library off to one side of the castle. As far as size went, it didn't compare to the foreteller's but Ephemera still couldn't help but feel impressed by the amount of knowledge contained within.

 _And where there's knowledge, there's answers…_ It might not give him everything he needed to bring a stop to the Keyblade War, but it would give him ample background on what was happening during this timeline.

"I don't think you're supposed to be in here."

* * *

" _You need to stop this Ephemera." From where he was confined, the silver-haired teen looked out at his friend and current Foreteller, a frown creasing her face. She had removed the fox mask that normally hid her features, since it was just the two of them this time._

" _You know they're hiding something from us Ava." He glanced at the stone walls around them, wondering if any of the others were listening this time. The purple light flashing from the spell keeping him there grew brighter as he tested the bonds once again. He wasn't too bothered by it however, it wasn't actually doing any damage and he knew he would be released with time._

" _You know I'm one of them too?" The whispered reply from the Fox Foreteller caused him to glance back at her face. She seemed pained by something, as if this 'punishment' was hurting her rather than him. "Besides, even if they are, the Master has his reasons for not telling us everything…"_

" _Even if it's dangerous?" At his question, she stayed silent. The light dimmed, causing him to flex his wrists in response. Sure enough, it stayed dim, signaling that his time in the enclosure was almost up. "I won't give up Ava. Not till I find what it is that he's hiding."_

* * *

 **So it's been a really long time… a lot longer than I wanted. Over the summer I got into the mix of having two jobs and then starting back at school again this semester. Both have left me with little time to write even though that's my stress relief. I'm sorry! I feel bad that you all had to wait so long for the next chapter! For those who are also reading 'A Twist in Time', I am also working on the next chapter for that one. Just have to get back into the swing of things and write it. :) This one was shorter than I wanted but I figured I'd at least post it so you all could enjoy. Guesses on who found Ephemera? See you all next time!**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


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